Lubricating apparatus



O. ZERK LUBRICATING APPARATUS Original Fil'edNoy. 21, 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR OscAR ZERK BY H ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR ZERK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALLYNE-ZERK COMPANY,013' CLEVELAND, OHIO.

LUBRICATING APPARATUS.

Original application filed November 21, 1922, Serial No. 602,465.Divided and this application filed August 2, 1923. Serial No. 655,294.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR ZERK, a citizen of Republic of Czechoslovakia,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in lubricating apparatus.

In the lubrication of moving elements, and especially in automobiles, ithas become uniform practice to provide the elements with inlet nipples,to which a grease or oil gun is detachably secured. Generally, the gunis provided with a flexible outlet tube having at its end a couplingwhich i adjusted manually and locked against the inlet nipple to provideav tight joint therebetween. After the user has locked the coupling byhand, he then grasps the gun barrel with one hand and with the otherhand screws the lunger down, forcing the grease through tlie conduit.

These several operations each require considerable time, are oftenperformed from awkward positions, and further, in handling the coupling,from which grease leaks during the pressure operation and especiallyafter being removed, the users hands hecome greasy and dirty causing thegun and the coupling to slip when handled, and necessitating additionaltime in which to perform the attaching and detaching operations.

The main object of my invention resides in overcoming these objectionsby so constructing a pistol and a nipple, that the pistol can be held inone hand and placed in direct osculatory, leak proof contact with thenipple, and while so held will inject lubricant into the nipple, whendirect pressure is applied thereto.

Another object of my invention resides in providing a pistol with ametal connector which is so shaped that it forms a leak proof directmetal to metal contact with a nipple.

Another object of my invention resides in constructing the contactportions of the nipple and the connector, so that a leak proof, directpressure contact can be manually maintained between a surface of the oneand an edge of the other.

Another object of my invention is to construct the contacting portionsof a nipple and a connector, so that one rovides a peripheral circularedge which ts against a spherical surface of the other, to provide aleak proof pressure maintained contact therebetween, which when pressedtogether in varying angular relations the circular edge remains coveredby the dome-shaped portion of the spherically shaped surface within suchcircular edge.

Another object of my invention resides in tlie construct-ion of alubricant dispensing pistol consisting of a barrel having pressurecreating means associated therewith, a lubricant exit and a handleportion whereby the user can grasp the pistol by its handle portion withone hand and by direct pressure, form a leak proof connection betweenthe exit and a nipple inlet opening, to allow the lubricant to pas underpressure and without loss from the pistol into the nipple.

I Another object of my invention is to provide an improved lubricatingsystem comprising a gun with a lubricant reservoir and a nozzle, thesaid nozzle having a contact face with a centrally disposed exit openingtogether with a lubricant receiving nipple with a face having an inletopening positioned preferably centrally thereof, the one face having a.peripheral circular edge and the other face having a spherically sha edsurface. and means adapted to eject lu ricant under' pressure from thesaid exit opening, the said nozzle contact face being adapted to bepressed against that of the nipple by the operator pressing the guntoward the nipple from any one of a number of different angulardirections, the manual pressure so exerted being adapted to cause theejection of lubricant from the nozzle into the nipple and at the sametime to provide sufiicient pressure to maintain a tight lubricant proofcontact between the circular ed e of the one contact face with thespherica surface of the other contact face which engages it.

the same in osculatory manual pressure maintained contact with animproved nipple adapted to cooperate therewith, each of the parts beingshown in lubricant discharging position.

'Fig. 3. shows an enlarged view of the nozzle and nipple illustrated inFigs. land 2, but the nozzle being presented 'angularly to the nip le.

Fig. 4 ows another embodiment of my invention comprising a nozzleterminating in a ball having a forward spherical end face together witha nipple adapted to co-operate therewith.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of my invention comprising the same kindof nozzle end together with a nipple contact face with a surroundingguide portion, the nozzle being present angularly to the nipple.

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of my invention wherein the contactfaces of the nozzle and nipple as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive arereversely formed, that of the nipple in this embodiment being similar tothat of the nozzle in the first embodiment, and vice versa.

Referring now to all of the drawings, in all of which like parts areindicated by like reference characters;

At 1 I show a cylindrical lubricant containing reservoir, orbarrel,having a cover 2 at its rear or breech end. The barrel has its forwardor muzzle end threaded externally as shown at 5, and over which threadsa head 6 is adapted to be screw-threaded so bearing surfaces to thecenter of the contact face within the rim 16, and communicating with thenozzle orifice 21 of the gun. The tube 11 has its forward end, fittingwithin the cylindrical nozzle walls 13, of increased internal diameter,so as to provide a valve seat 22 for a check valve ball 23, springpressed against such seat by a spiral spring 24:, bearing against thevalve ball, and seating against the end wall 25 of the nozzle recess.

The tube 11 projects within the head 6 and contains therein a port 26and a plunger guide portion 27 the said plunger guide portion extendingbeyond the port 26 toward the $0 interior of the gun. The guide portion27 carries a washer 2 8 seated against a shoulder 29 which results fromthe making of the end of the guide portion 27 of slightly reducedexternal diameter. A metallic bridge 30 is rigidly secured to the head 6as by ,making it a tight driving fit within the portion 31 of the head,or by electrically welding it to such portion, or in any other wellknown suitable way, and is preferably substantially cup shaped, itsbottom 'wall 32 being perforated at 33 and elsewhere, as shown variouslyat 34.

.At" 35 I show a piston plunger comprising a relatively long cylindricalrod and a rear enlarged head or flanged portion 36, the end of the head36 being adapted to seat on the bottom wall 32 of the bridge 30, thehead 36 being of larger diameter than the diameter of the opening 33through such bottom wall. 1

a A spiral compression spring 37. is disposed between the inner face 38of the.

lindrical portion 7 and a tapered end 8, together with a bearin portion9, the bearing portion 9 being of reduced diameter and containing acylindrical bore 10, which is disposed in axial alignment, preferably,with the reservoir barrel 1.

Within the bore, 10 a cylindrical tube 11 is adapted to telescope theexternal cylindrical walls of the tube making a close fit with theinternal cylindrical Walls of the bore 10. At the end of the tube 11 ain walls 14.- and a sp erical contact face'15.

he spherical contact face 15 is adapted to be engaged by the circularrim 16 of a threaded by its stem 18 into the frame 19 adjacent a machinebearing, the nipple containing a passageway 20 leading from the bearingreceiving \nipple- 17, screw-' flanged end 33013 the plunger 35 and thewasher 29, which is carried upon the guide portion 27 of the telescopingtube 11, the spring 37 serves to exert a separating pressure on theplunger and the tube, so as to tend tokeep them in extended positions,as shown in Fig. 1, and to retract them tosucli positions after adischarging operation, ll. wherein the plunger and the-tube have beentelescoped to the positions shown in Fig. 2, as will be later described.The tube 11 is v I maintained in the position shown in Fig. 1 by thepressure of the spring 37, by virtue of a washer 39, which is sprunginto place on the tube 11, being tightly fitted thereto,

- the tube 11 being sli htly ferruled so as to receive such washer, t eouter forward edges of the'washer contacting with the innermost 1!.forward portion of the conical internal walls of the head portion 8.

Within the gun barrel 1, I provide a piston or movable reservoir wall,said piston or movable wall comprising, preferably, an intermediate corkpiston 40, and clamping end washers 41 and 42. At 43 I show a clampingrivet, the intermediate" portion being of slightly reduced diameter andpassing through cylindrical aligned openings in the cork piston andwashers 41 and 42, said openings being preferably axial relative to thebore of the barrel 1, within which bore the piston is adapted to bereciprocated.

The washer 42 is preferably cup-shaped, having cylindrical side walls 46adapted to loosely fit within the inner walls of the barrel 1 andserving to guide the piston through the bore of the barrel, and to limitany tendency toward tilting, or so-called kip ing, of the piston, which,if present, woul reduce the freedom of movement otherwise had by thepiston within the barrel.

The piston thus described is reciprocable within the barrel 1, but I donot provide any direct means of reciprocating such piston, such as ahandle adapted to manually operate the piston, or a spring to propelsuch piston, nor do I provide means for supplying a positive fluidpressure from a pump or equivalent mechanism, relying, as will be laterdescribed, upon the effect of a vacuum, so-called.

Having now described the different parts of the specific embodiment ofmy invention herein illustrated, I will now describe the operation ofthe gun when used to dispense a lubricant, such as" grease, through abearing nipple, such as the nipple 17 rior to the use of the gun thereservoir chamber 50 is filled with lubricant by dissociating the barrel1 from the head 6 by unscrewing the head and barrel from one another,the parts being separated at the threads 5, normally joining such parts,for the purpose of loading the barrel. In loading the barrel all of thespace comprisin the chamber 50 is filled with lubricant, and the pistonor movable wall is forced to its rearmost position, wherein the pistonend wall or washer 41 comes into contact with the cover 2, the airwithin the barrel to the rear of the piston being forced out through theorifice 51.

Also, at the same time it is understood that the other interior chambersof the gun, such as the chamber within the head 6 and the bridge 30, andthe chamber within the tube 11, have been previously filled with greaseor oil. This Is preferabl done by the manufacturer of the gun, fore thegun is put into the hands of a user, this being accomplished by themanufacturer in any suitable way, as by applying grease or oil underpressure to barrel to the rear end of the head 6, and forcing it throughthe chamber contained Within the head, through the orifices 34 andthrough the port 26, until the chamber within the tube 11 is alsofilled, and the lubricant begins to come through the orifice 21 of thenozzle 12. This is not a necessary prerequisite, but is preferred aspermitting the instantaneous ready use of the lubricating gun of myinvention without any preliminary non-lubricant discharging operationsby the user.

The barrel 1 and the head 6 being thus charged with grease and re-unitedby the screw threads 5, the operator grasping the gun by the handle 3will place the spherical contact face 15 of the nozzle in contact withthe rim 16 of the nipple 17, the reduced end of the nipple being guidedinto engagement with such contact face by the flared guide surfaces 14extending outwardly from the spherical contact face. The operator willthen press on the handle forwardly towards the nipple, causing the head6 to telescope over the tube 11, and at the same time causing thecylindrical plunger 35 to be pressed forwardly within the guide 27 ofthe tube 11 by the engagement of the bottom wall 32 of the bridge 30with the rear enlarged face of such plunger. The plunger will,therefore, be advanced forwardly past the port 26 of the tube 11,closing such port and trapping lubricant contained within the tube 11and, the operation being continued, the plunger 35 forced within thechamber 52 of the tube 11, will displace the lubricant contained withinsuch chamber, forcibly ejecting it under great pressure past the ballvalve 2322, and through the nozzle orifice 21, such discharged lubricantentering the passage 20 of the nipple and past the ball valve 54 of thenipple fo the bearing surfaces to be lubricated. Aleak proof connectionis maintained between the rim or edge 16 of the nipple contact face andthe spherical contact face of the nozzle by the manual pressure exertedtoward the nipple upon the handle. This is true, even though the anglefrom which the nozzle is presented to the nipple is varied widely, thenipple circular edge making a tight joint with the nozzle spherical face15 in all cases, so long as they are pressed together, and when sopressed together complete a closed conduit or passage-way for lubricantunder high pressure passing from the gun nozzle to the interior of thenipple. Although I have described my invention in connection with a gunwherein the nozzle is rigidly secured to the reservoir, I may sometimesemploy the means of my invention, broadly considered, in a form of gunwherein the nozzle is placed at the end of a flexible tube leading tothe gun reservoir.

The very desirable result of securing a manually maintained lubricantleak-proof connection between the nozzle and the nip ple even when thegun is pressed from different angular directions toward the nipple, isvery valuable as when the gun is used to lubricate nipples such as thoseherein illustrated placed adjacent the surfaces of mm chine bearings onan automobile where the space is oftentimes limited in which the gun canbe operated, and intervening portions of the automobile prevent directaxial alignment of the gun and nipple, or, at any rate,

make it awkward to so position the gun relative to the nipple. In mypresent invention I secure this result and at the same time utilize theconnection creating pres sure to force lubricant from the gun throughthe leak-proof joint thussecured by pressure and I secure the ejectionof the lubricant under a "cry high pressure at the same time, and withthe same manual effort as the tight leak-proof connection is secured. Ithus have provided a one-hand lubricant gun capable of being used foroil or grease or other lubricant, or for any liquid or fluid substancesought to be ejected from a reservoir to a receptacle which may comprisean inlet nipple.

. Referring now particularly to Fig. 3 of' the drawings, in this figurethe nozzle is shown as being resented at an angle to the axis of thenipp e and a leak-proof connection is shown as being secured between theperipheral edge of the contact face of the nipple and the phericalconcave face of the sure exerted against the gun towards the ni ple.

n Fig. 4 I show a modified form of nozzle end and nipple wherein thenozzle instead of having a concave contact face, spherically formed,terminates in a ball 61, having its forward portion convex sphericallyformed, the convexly rounded end of the nozzle fitting within thecircular inner rim 62 of a nipple annular contact face 63, and making a.leak-proof connection between the circular rim of the nipple contactface, and

the convexly rounded contact face of the nozzle.

Fig. 5 shows another view of asimilar nozzle and nipple to thatillustrated in Fig. 4 modified, however, in that the nipple 64 is shownas comprising an outwardly flarin guide portion 66 like, in thisrespect, to the nozzles of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and like them servingto guide the face 67 of the nozzle to the apertured contact edge 68 ofthe nipple. Also in this figure, the nozzle is presented against thenipple from a-different angular direction than in axial alignmenttherewith, but serving to maintain, just as when in axial alignment, atight lubricant proof connection between the nozzle and the nipple whenpressure is directed by the user to force the gun against the nozzle.

In Fig. 6 I show another embodiment formed and adapted to receive thenozzle end, and the parts being guided to lubricant dispensing leakproof connecting position by an outwardly flared guiding surface 74surrouniling the concave contact face of the n1 e.

aving described my invention in con nection with aparticular kind oflubricant dispensing gun, I am aware that my improved nozz e and nippleconnection ma be embodied in structures varyin widely rom that hereinillustrated and described, and when used in connection with a. gun suchas a lubricant gun, the construction of the .gun may likewise be varied.In my coiending application Serial No. 602,465, filed lVovember 21,1922, likewise I show a different form of gun and a number of differentkinds of nozzles and nipples embodying the principles of my invention,and in my co-pending application Serial No. 602,466 filed November 21,1922, I show still another form of gun together with a nozzle and nippleused in connection therewith employing the principles of my invention. Ielect to claim in this application my invention comprising a. nozz partsassociated therewith broadly, and to claim herein more specifically thatconstruction of nozzle and nipple wherein the nozzle has a concavecontact face adapted" to receive the nipple end, and to claim in otherco-pending a plications other forms of apparatus embo ying the broadrinciples of my invention herein disclose After a charge of lubricant ofa volume at least equal to the volume. of space occu pied by the plungerpiston 35, disposed forwardly of the port 26, has been discharged fromthe gun, the operator will release the forwardly direct pressure on thehandle and the spring 37, which, during such operation, was pressed asshown in F ig.- 2, will cause the piston and nozzle to regain theirnormal extended positions, as shown in Fig. 1, the spring 37 beingstrong enough to accomplish this over the power of a so-called vacuumcreated in the chamber 52 when the plunger 35 is removed therefrom, andthe ball valve 22 and 23 during such removal being tightly closed.

At the moment the port 26 is again uncovered by the retractile action ofthe spring 37 upon the piston 35 the power of this vacuum will becommunicated to the grease within the head 6, and which body oflubricant is continuous through the openings 34 of the bridge 30 throughthe chamber 50 of the barrel 1 to the piston comprising e and a nippleand the IOU the parts 40, 41 and 42, and the entire body of lubricantwill be drawn forwardly, together with the large piston follower orso-called movable wall 404142, and the tube 11 will be immediatelyrecharged with lubricant.

Although I have described the foregoing operation whereby the lubricanttogether with the follower or movable wall is drawn forwardly in thebarrel 1 after a discharging operation, by referring to the so-calledvacuum as drawing the lubricant and piston forward so that a new chargeof lubricant is drawn into the chamber 52 for a subsequent dischargingoperation of the gun as described, I believe that another way ofdescribing the operation relative to the recharging of the chamber 52would be to state that lubricant together with the piston follower ormovable wall is pressed forward by atmospheric pressure acting on itsrear side, as through the opening 51, this atmospheric pressure being inexcess of the hydraulic pressure existing on the forward portion of thelubricant when the piston 35 has been withdrawn from the chamber 52,such withdrawal causing .a consequent reduction in hydraulic pressure onthe forward side of the said lubricant.

But in any event I find that the said follower always is in contact withthe body of lubricant ahead of it, and the lubricant is forced forwardlyinto the chamber 52 after every discharge operation, as described.

By referring now to the different embodi ments of my inventionillustrated, it will be observed that the lubricant conductingconnection between the lubricant gun nozzle and the element to belubricated comprises a contact face for the nozzle and a contact facefor the element, the two contact faces being adapted to be pressedtogether such as by manual pressure directed from the gun toward theelement, one of the said contactfaces having a spherical surface, andthe other contact face comprising an edge which is circular and ispreferably very narrow, to form a very thin annular surface a ainstwhich the spherical surface is presse In the different figures ofdrawing I have shown this very narrow annular surface as being formed onsubstantially the same radius of curvature as that of the said sphericalsurface, but the area of the annular contact surface in all caseswherethe annular surface or so-called edge, is placed on the nozzle or on theelement to be lubricated, is of reduced area so as to intensify thelubricant sealing pressure exerted against such reduced surface.

I wish it to be understood also that where I have used the term annularin the claims and accompanying this specification and forming a parthereof. that I used it in the sense of its being circular orsubstantially s0, or so as to.accomplish the same results as a circularface edge, in substantially the same Way.

I find that by so forming the contacting portions of the nozzle and theelement to be lubricated, that a great sealing pressure can be exertedbetween the contacting portions of the nozzle and the element in excessof the hydraulic pressure exerted by the lubricant enclosed by suchportions so as to effectually retain the lubricant in the passagewaythus formed, and I find that this can be most effectually accomplishedby the novel means I have herein provided, and.

which comprise generally the contacting faces I have herein described.

My invention contemplates, moreover, the provision of contact faces fora lubricant gun nozzle, and a lubricant receiving element which havetheir engaging portions formed of hard material such as metal, and Iprefer to use steel for thematerial having such surfaces, as by the useof such hard material, I secure a permanence of the contact surfaceswhich cannot otherwise be secured due to the durability of the materialand I secure an increased degree of efficiency since the contactingportions are unyielding as would be the case were they formed of rubberor like material.

By the construction of a temporary joint between the gun nozzle andlubricant receptacle, as has been described, the end of the nozzle isadapted to be fitted to the contact face of the receptacle and to make apressure maintained, substantially line contact therewith Withoutforcing dirt which may accumulate on the exterior o the receptacle, intothe interior passages thereof and making a lubricant proof joint, thepreferable metal-to-nietal contact substantially on a circular linecausing a cutting through of the accumulated dirt.

Also especially in those forms of my invention having a very small inletopening leading into the interior of the receptacle the liability of anyconsiderable amount of dirt being forced into the receptacle isminimized. By providing such a metal-to-metal joint between the nozzleand the nipple, such dirt will be excluded from the joint which is notthe case where a pressure joint is established betweeh contactingportions of rubber or other gasket material.

This case is a division as to the subject matter claimed herein, of anearlier application, Serial Number 602,465, filed November 21, 1922.

Having thus described my invention in a number of embodiments, I amaware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from theembodiments herein illustrated, described and referred to, but withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. In a lubricating apparatus, the combination with a lubricantreceptacle element of a lubricant reservoir for supplying lubricantthereto, means to put the lubricant in the reservoir under pressure, alubricant feeding nozzle element, said reservoir communicating lubricantunder pressure thereto, said receptacle element and said nozzle elementhaving cooperative substantially non-compressible contact faces andopenings therethrough, one of said contact faces having a concavelyspherical surface, the other contact face having a dirt cuttingcircumferential edge ortion adapted to be embraced withm t e sphericalsurface of the other face and providing a solid contact therewith whenthe nozzle is pressed against the receptacle element from any one of aplurality of angularly different directions, to make a sealed,substantially non-yielding, lubricant conducting, connection between Vthe 4 face openings.

2. In a lubricating apparatus, the combination with a lubricantreceptacle element of a lubricant reservoir for supplying lubricantthereto, means to put the'lubricant in the reservoir under pressure, alubricant feeding nozzle element, said reservoir communicating lubricantunder pressure thereto, said receptacle element and said nozzle elementhaving cooperative substantially noncompressible contact faces andopenings therethrough,.the nozzle contact face having a concavelyspherical surface, the other contact face having a dirt cuttingcircumferential edge portion adapted to be embraced within the sphericalsurface of the nozzle face and roviding the sole contact therewith whent e nozzle is pressed against the receptacle element from any one of aplurality of angularly different directions, to make a sealed,substantially non-yielding, lubricant conducting connection between theface openings.

3. In a lubricating apparatus, the combination with a lubricantreceptacleelement of a lubricant gun for supplying lubricant underpressure thereto, said gun having a lubricant feeding nozzle element,said receptacle element and said nozzle element having cooperativesubstantially non-compressible contact faces and o enings therethrough,one of said contact aces having a concavely spherical surface, the othercontact face having a dirt cutting circumferential edge portion adaptedto be embraced within the spherical surface of the other face andproviding the sole contact therewith when the nozzle is pressed againstthe receptacle element from any one of a pluing a spherical surface, andthe other contact face comprising an annular dirt cutting edge'portionadapted to fit entirely within the border of the spherical surface ofthe other face and to swivel thereagainst forming a tight connectionbetween said openings for the conduction of lubricant under pressurefrom said gun to the receiving element when said nozzle face is pressedagainst the said element from any one of a plurality of angularlydifferent directions, after their faces are placed in contactingengagement.

5. In a lubricating apparatus, the combination with a lubricantreceptacle of a lu bricant gun comprising a container and a rigidlubricant feeding nozzle secured directly thereto, said receptacle andsaid gun compressible contact faces and openings therethrough, thenozzle contact face having a concavely spherical surface, the receptaclecontact face adapted to be received within and to engage the concavespherical surface of the nozzle face and having a dirt cuttingcircumferential edge portion providing the sole contact therewith, whenthe gun is directed against the receptacle and manual premure exertedagainst the con tainer from any one of a plurality of angularlydifferent directions, to make and manually maintain a sealed,substantiallynonyielding, lubricant conducting swiveling connectionbetween the face. openings.

6. In a lubricating system, the combination with a lubricant dispensinggun having a lubricant feeding nozzle, of a lubricant receiving element,said gun comprising means to supply lubricant under pressure to saidelement, the nozzle and said element having cooperating substantiallynon-compressible contact faces with communicating openings therethrough,one of said contact faces having a spherical surface, and the,

other contact face comprising an annular dirt cutting edge portion.adapted to fit entirely within the border of the spherical surface ofthe other face and to swivel thereagainst forming a tight connectionbetween said openings for the conduction'of lubricant nozzle havingcooperative substantially nonunder pressure from said gun to thereceiving element when said nozzle face is pressed a ainst the saidelement from any one of a p urality of angularl different directions,after their faces are p aced in contacting engagement, and an outwardlyinclined guide for one of said elements to direct the other elementcontact face thereto.

7. In a lubricating system, the combination with a lubricant dispensinggun having a lubricant feeding nozzle, of a lubricant receiving element,said gun comprising means to supply lubricant under pressure to saidelement, the nozzle and said element having cooperating substantiallynon-compressible contact faces with communicating openings therethrough,one of said contact faces having a spherical surface, and the othercontact face comprising an annular contacting portion, said nozzle facebeing concave, the nipple face adapted to fit entirely within the borderof the concave nozzle face and to swivel thereagainst forming a tightdirt cutting connection between said openings for the conduction oflubricant under pressure from said gun to the receiving element whensaid nozzle face is pressed against the said element from any one of aplurality of angularly different directions, after their faces areplaced in contacting engagement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 1st day of Auust, 1923.

OS AR ZERK.

